?? Would a chicken lay an egg, out, and still go to the coop at nite?

My chickens free range durring the day and return to the tractor/coop at nite. They have become attached to a stand of bushes. One has been seen less and less during the day and has taken longer to come in than the others. Last nite I had to go out with a flashlight and get her! I didn't think about it till today, but could she have a nest under there?

Very likely. Try keeping them in the coop until later in the day for a while and see if production increases. That's how you'll know even if you never find a well hidden nest. I don't let anyone out to free range untill 2pm (they can still get to an outside run).

I went out and looked, but no eggs. It is all trampled down back there though so they spend a lot of time in there. They are right at 16 weeks old, could they be getting broody? These are my first chickens, so I haven't seen all the behaviors yet.